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Third- Grade Reading Guarantee

Ohio's Third Grade Reading Guarantee is a program to identify students from kindergarten through grade 3 that are behind in reading. Schools will provide help and support to make sure students are on track for reading success by the end of third grade.

What You Need to Know

(From the Ohio Department of Education

If you are the parent of a child who has trouble learning to read, you need to know about Ohio's Third Grade Reading Guarantee.

The guarantee says that your child's school has to determine how well he or she is reading at the beginning of each school year from kindergarten through third grade. If your son or daughter is not reading as well as expected, the school must create a plan to help your child improve.

You will be involved in creating this plan. The plan will describe the help your child will receive to get him or her reading on grade level. If your child still is not reading as expected by the end of third grade, the school must keep your child in third grade when the next school year begins. There may be some exceptions:

If your child is learning to speak English;

If your child is on an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and the IEP says he or she cannot repeat grade 3 because of reading;

If your child has received reading help for at least two years and has repeated a grade before;

If your child shows on certain tests, other than a state reading test, that he or she is reading on grade level.

To find out if your child qualifies for any of these exceptions, talk to his or her teacher.

Your child will have many chances to show his or her reading is improving. It is important that you keep in touch with your child's teacher so you know where things stand.